Firefighter Deployed to Itaewon Tragedy Scene Missing for a Week

A firefighter in his 30s, who was deployed to the scene of the Itaewon tragedy and has been suffering from depression, has gone missing, and the police are conducting a search operation. It has been confirmed that he sent a final text message to his girlfriend just before his disappearance.

On the 17th, JTBC reported that the firefighter, identified as A, sent a text message to his girlfriend stating, "You are a good person, you can overcome this" just before leaving his home.

According to the report, the police confirmed that A's vehicle passed through the Nam Incheon Tollgate at around 2:30 AM on the 10th, and was parked on the right shoulder. However, only the empty vehicle remained at the scene, and A was not found.

The police have mobilized drones and advanced equipment to search the surrounding area, but there have been no significant results so far.

Firefighter Diagnosed with Depression After Itaewon Tragedy

A is a firefighter who was deployed to the scene of the Itaewon tragedy that occurred in October 2022.

In an interview with JTBC at the time, A expressed, "My parents are struggling just knowing that I went to that scene," and added, "What must the parents of the victims feel? I wish this were not real."

About two months after the Itaewon tragedy, in December 2022, A was diagnosed with depression and has been receiving ongoing treatment since.

A police official stated, "The relationship between past medical history and the disappearance has not yet been determined," but added, "The possibility of being a victim of a crime is considered low, and we will continue the search for the missing person."

Image source: Family-produced flyers by Park Heung-jun, News1